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Snow White
' Snow White '''is the main protagonist from Disney's first full-length animated feature film, ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937. Snow White is heavily based on the main character from the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name, and belongs to a marketing franchise known as the Disney Princesses, of which she is the first in order of release, before Cinderella. Although the original fairy tale character is seven years old, Disney made her fourteen years old in the film instead. Being fourteen makes her the youngest Official Disney Princess. Snow White was voiced by late actress and singer, Adriana Caselotti. Personality and Phyiscal Appearance Phyisical Appearance Snow White is a beautiful 14 year old girl, with "lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow". She has a slender figure and dainty feet. She is described as the fairest in all the land, and even rags cannot hide her beauty. She is the shortest of all the disney princesses. Personalty Snow White is a sweet, kind, and caring girl. She can be naive at some points, but she can also be strict, for instance when she made the Seven Dwarfs go wash their hands, or else they'd get no supper. She is a dreamer, and a romantic, but is willing to work hard to help the seven dwarfs. Snow White loves dreaming, singing, dancing, and is always kind to every animal and person she meets. Backround and Development Orgins Snow White is based on the main protagonist of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Snow White. Both those characters experienced mostly the same story. However, there were a few differences between the two characters. For instance, in the original fairy tale Snow White is only seven years old when she inticts the Queen's jealousy and she runs away and finds the dwarfs. This idea was softened for the film by increasing her age to fourteen. Another difference is after she eats the poisoned apple she remains in the glass coffin for many years and grows up into a young woman while in her death-like sleep. In the film she is in the coffin for a full cycle of seasons. Also, instead of being woken up by a kiss, the prince buys the coffin from the dwarfs and as they help the prince carry it back to his castle one of the dwarfs trips on rock and the piece of the poisoned apple flies from Snow White's throat and she recovers. Snow White is also more vicious for by the end of the story after the Queen drops dead at her wedding to the prince she and her husband laugh about it and share their first dance. Another difference is, Snow White did not have any animal friends in the original story. Development Design and Characteristics The design and characterization of Snow White was influenced by both the heroine of traditional European romantic fairy tales and the popular Hollywood heroine. Early designs showing Snow White with blond hair suggest Eugene Grasset's depiction of the goddess of spring in Le Printemps as another influence; like Disney's Snow White, Grasset's goddess is closely connected to nature, and, as in one of Grasset's studies for the piece, Snow White entertains animals with music. Snow White's design was supervised by Grim Natwick, an animator who had previously developed and worked on Betty Boop at the Fleischer Studio. Early designs for the character resemble Betty Boop, and some appear to be caricatures of famous actresses such as Zasu Pits; however, Snow White's appearance, like the Queen's became less and less caricatured. For example, Hamilton Luske's first design for Snow White depicted her as a slightly awkward, gangly teenager. This design could easily have been animated without the use of live-action reference, but Walt Disney had a different idea in his mind; the character ultimately was designed to be older, and more realistic-looking. In order for Snow White to better relate onscreen to the seven dwarfs, however, it was decided that her head be slightly larger than normal. The ink and paint women felt that Snow White's black hair was too unnatural and harsh, so drybrushed whisps of light grey over the top of each cell. Voice Actress In order to take only the actresses' voice into account, Walt Disney listened to each audition in his office while the actress performed in another room, without any knowledge of the actress' appearance or reputation. According to a later interview, most of the voices auditioned did not sound young enough. Among the many actresses rejected was Deanna Durbin. Adriana Caselotti was chosen for the voice of Snow White on September 1935 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs production timeline (DVD feature). Though eighteen when recording the voice, Caselotti made her coloraturo soprano sound younger, knowing that the character was intended to be fourteen years old; however, Caselotti never informed Disney of this. In recording sessions, clarity of diction was stressed, but Caselotti found difficulty in the line, "Grumpy, I didn't know you cared"; instead of "didn't", Caselotti was only able to say "din'". After rehearsing the line many times, Disney eventually said "Oh, the heck with..." and "din'" remained in the final film. Backround Information Snow White was born into royalty, making her a princess. Her mother died when she was a child, and her father remarried a wicked woman. Later, her father died, leaving her an orphan . The wicked queen, was a very vain woman, and wanted to be the fairest in the land. She feared that Snow White's beauty would surpass her own. So she dressed Snow White in rags and forced her to work as a scullery maid. Even in rags and clogs, however, Snow White's beauty shines through, causing the Queen to worry that Snow White's beauty may one day surpass her own. She has such vanity that she consults her Magic Mirror every day "Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?". As long as the Mirror answered, "You are the fairest one of all," Snow White was safe from her stepmother's cruel jealousy. Role in the Film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs One day the mirror informs the queen that Snow White has finally become the fairest in the land. Outside, as Snow White works, she sings "I'm Wishing", attracting the attention of a handsome, unnamed Prince, who is passing by. As she sings into the well, performing a duet with her echo, she is startled as the Prince suddenly joins in. She runs indoors, and watches from a balcony as he sings "One Song". The two are immediately infatuated with each other. Watching from above is the Queen, who angrily closes the curtains of her window in jealousy. The Queen summons her huntsman to her and orders him to kill Snow White. The Queen asks him to bring her heart back in a special box as proof that he has succeeded in the task. The Huntsman takes Snow White to a secluded glade and, checking that no one else is present, advances on the princess as she is helping a young bird return to its parents. Snow White sees the Huntsman's shadow on the rock in front of her, turns around and screams in terror. However, the Huntsman cannot bring himself to kill her upon seeing the beauty in a princess such as herself, and begs Snow White for forgiveness. He tells her of the Queen's insane jealousy, and tells her to run away. She takes his advice and flees through the forest, and her fright is manifested in the plants around her; branches suddenly resemble claw-like hands, and floating logs resemble crocodiles. Overcome by terror, she eventually collapses, sobbing. As light enter the forest, the woodland creatures cautiously approach Snow White, and she befriends them. Together they sing "With A Smile And A Song". No longer frightened, Snow White asks the animals if they know where she can stay. They lead her to the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs; she enters and finds that no one is home. Noticing that the whole cottage is a complete mess, she cleans the house, with the help of the animals. She hopes that its residents, whom she believes to be children due to the size of the furniture, will let her stay if she cleans up for them. At this point she sings "Whistle While You Work". . When she is finished, she goes upstairs to find seven little beds. She falls asleep over three of them. around as they search for the 'monster' that has invaded their home. They hear a noise (some birds from the forest, joking about) coming from upstairs, and, after an unsuccessful attempt by Dopey to chase the thing down, enter the bedroom together. They approach the three beds that are being slept in, and are about to strike when Doc removes the bed cover to reveal Snow White sleeping. They are all infatuated with her, but Grumpy grumbles about her unwelcome presence, waking her up. She is first startled by the dwarfs, but soon befriends them, guessing the names of Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey and Grumpy because their names are carved on the beds. All the dwarfs except for Grumpy agree that Snow White is welcome to stay if she does the housework for them. A noise from downstairs reminds Snow White that she has left some soup boiling. She rushes downstairs, and tells the dwarfs that it is almost ready, and that they will have time to wash. The dwarfs reluctantly march outside and wash while singing Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (The Dwarfs' Washing Song). After supper, the dwarfs perform "The Silly Song" for Snow White, and she dances with Dopey (who reaches her height by standing on Sneezy's shoulders). She then repays them when she sings "Some Day My Prince Will Come" as the dwarfs listen. The dwarfs then declare that Snow White will sleep upstairs, and that the dwarfs will find somewhere to sleep downstairs. At the Queen's Castle, the Queen, after being told by the Magic Mirror that Snow White still lives, descends into her laboratory and transforms into the Witch. She prepares the Poisoned Apple, one bite of which will send it's victim into the Sleeping Death, which can only be cured by 'Love's First Kiss'. The Witch leaves the castle and proceeds towards the Dwarfs' Cottage. The next morning, Snow White kisses each dwarf goodbye as they leave for the mine. Before he leaves, Grumpy warns her not to let anyone in the house. Touched that he cares despite his negative exterior, Snow White decides to bake a pie for Grumpy. Soon the Queen, disguised as a old peddler selling apples, peers through her window. She offers Snow White the apple, but is attacked by the woodland creatures, who recognize the danger. Snow White shoos the animals away and takes the old woman inside for a drink of water. Meanwhile, the animals rush off to fetch the dwarfs. The Queen tells Snow White that the apple (which has been poisoned) is a magic wishing apple, capable of making all of Snow White's wishes come true, and succeeds in persuading her to take a bite. Snow White soon falls to the floor after feeling the poison's effects, which causes her to fall into a Sleeping Death. As the Queen is leaving, she is seen by the dwarfs, who chase her to a cliff, where she falls to her death to be eaten by vultures. The dwarfs find Snow White and they grieve her "death" as they return home. Later, as they find her so beautiful, even in death, they place her in a glass coffin. The unnamed Prince from the begginnig hears of this and rides to the clearing where her coffin has been placed. The dwarfs part and the Prince approaches Snow White, awakening her with a kiss. The dwarfs rejoice, and Snow White kisses each dwarf goodbye before leaving with the Prince for the Prince's castle, the outline of which is shown in the clouds above. Songs Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs *I'm Wishing *With a Smile and a Song *Whistle While You Work *Someday My Prince Will Come Gallery 180px-Schneewittchen-7-zwerge-3-1-.jpg|Snow White and her animal friends 180px-Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarfs-1-.jpg|Snow White meeting the seven dwarfs 250px-Snowwhite-disneyscreencaps.com-12992-1-.jpg|Snow White with the evil queen disquised as a witch Tumblr kupzdnNMhL1qzdzcdo1 500-1-.jpg|The seven dwarfs mourning over Snow White's "death" Snow white and prince charming-1-.jpg|Snow White and the Prince going to live happily ever after undefined|undefined|link=undefined Trivia *In 1988, Snow White was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. *Snow White was both the youngest (being fourteen years old) and first Official Disney Princess. In fact, she is the first main protagonist of any of Walt Disney's animated features. *Snow White was the first of three Disney Princesses to be tempted by the villain's offer (the other two being Ariel and Tiana), and the first of only two of them to accept it (Ariel being the other, but Tiana managed to refuse). *Snow White is the first Princess to be "dead" and only "revive" from a prince's kiss, the second being Aurora. *Also, Snow White is the first of two heroines to have a bite of the poison apple, but the only one of those two to actually get revived by a prince (Giselle was the other, but Prince Edward's kiss didn't work; instead, it took Robert Phillips' kiss to revive her instead). Category:Singing Heroines Category:Disney princesses Category:Minors Category:Orphans Category:Animated Heroines Category:Brunettes Category:In love heroines